Surrounded by a powerful neighbour which upstages it in almost every way, Lesotho is overlooked by all too many visitors. Far poorer than South Africa, with HIV/AIDS at crisis levels and water its sole natural resource of commercial value, Lesotho nonetheless has much to inspire visitors, including lofty basalt mountains and an ancient and distinctive cultural heritage.
The entire country lies above 1000m in altitude, earning it the name Kingdom in the Sky; temperatures can plummet at any time of year and, during the bitterly cold winters, everyone wraps themselves in woollen blankets.
The Basotho are descended from a nineteenth-century community which survived the onslaughts of Shaka Zulu thanks to the leadership of their legendary ruler, King Moshoeshoe the Great, whose lineage continues today. . .
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Links we like
Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation Decent official site with hotel and restaurant listings.
See Lesotho Handy visitor info from a pony trekking lodge.
This page last edited 9 June 2011 © Richard Trillo and Emma Gregg
First-Time Africa: know before you go 